Yellow-headed Blackbird

Yellow-headed Blackbirds are Uncommon May June and October.

Habitat

During the breeding season, Yellow-headed Blackbirds can be found in large wetlands with emergent vegetation. Their habitat requirements are similar to those of Red-winged Blackbirds, but Yellow-headed Blackbirds require larger wetlands with deeper water. Red-winged Blackbirds are often seen with Yellow-headed Blackbirds. When the two do occur together, the larger Yellow-headed Blackbirds generally inhabit the center of the marsh, and the smaller Red-winged Blackbirds inhabit the periphery. In the non-breeding season, they can be found in open fields.

Behavior

Outside of the breeding season, Yellow-headed Blackbirds are commonly found in flocks, often mixed with other blackbird species. In winter, single-species flocks may form, sometimes consisting of all males or all females. Large foraging flocks move in a rolling fashion: birds from the back of the flock fly over the rest of the flock to the front. They forage by walking on the ground or climbing on low marsh vegetation. They often forage beside bodies of water when insects are emerging from aquatic larval stages, and they follow behind farm machinery, taking advantage of food churned up by the equipment.